After living trash free, students share tips on reducing waste

October 28, 2011

Julia Huggins, Tom Lang, Miriam Coe and Adassa Budrevich in the common room of Juniper dorm. (Photo by Rebecca Koffman/Special to The Oregonian)

Forest (Juniper) Residence Hall

Last spring, students in Lewis & Clark’s Juniper residence hall committed to trash-free living for two weeks, recycling, composting, and avoiding purchase of products that would only be used briefly and then thrown away.

As Portland implements new composting rules, The Oregonian asked Juniper residents for tips on what it takes to reduce waste. Among their suggestions for living a low-impact life? Bring containers to the store to carry home bulk goods, consider items packaged in glass rather than plastic, and come up with creative uses for non-recyclable wrappers.